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Cordyceps (Cordyceps militaris)
Gilles San Martin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Traditional use

Cordyceps

Cordyceps militaris · Cordycipitaceae

Cordyceps is a fungus that parasitises moth pupae underground and sends up orange-red clubs 1–8 cm tall.

FamilyCordycipitaceae
SeasonAug–Nov
Spore printWhite
Height1–8 cm
Records in Turkey1 records
CultivationGrows at home
StatusTraditional use

Cordyceps is a fungus that parasitises moth pupae underground and sends up orange-red clubs 1–8 cm tall. It is used in traditional Chinese medicine and marketed as a supplement, but there is not enough scientific evidence for its safety or effectiveness, and product quality varies. In Asia it is cooked in soups; North American guides list it as inedible or "probably edible".

Also called: scarlet caterpillarclub, caterpillar fungus Turkish: Kordiseps

Cordyceps

How to recognise it

Cordyceps, part by part

No ring or volva Spore print: White Inner tissue whitish to pale orange.

Cap — Cordyceps
CapNo cap: an orange-red club 1–8 cm tall with a finely pimpled surface.
Club surfaceNo gills; spores form in tiny flasks (perithecia) embedded in the club surface.
Stem — Cordyceps
StemThe lower part of the club, attached to the buried pupa.

When and where

Aug–Nov

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Augin season
  9. Sepin season
  10. Octin season
  11. Novin season
  12. Dec

Cordyceps fruits from August to November in Europe; there is a single GBIF record from Turkey (Artvin, August). In cultivation it is grown on rice and silkworm pupae.

Where does cordyceps grow?

Cordyceps grows in grassland and on mossy woodland edges, always attached to a moth pupa below ground.

In Turkey

Cordyceps is rarely recorded in Turkey.

  • Artvin

Our map has no observations of cordyceps from Turkey yet.

See on the map

In its habitat — Cordyceps
In its habitat
In cultivation — Cordyceps
In cultivation

Look-alikes

What could it be confused with?

Inedible

Caterpillar fungus (Tibet) Ophiocordyceps sinensis

Supplement health claims mostly borrow from this species, whose effects are also unproven.

Inedible

Goldenthread cordyceps Tolypocladium ophioglossoides

Another club fungus listed by sources as a look-alike.

What it contains

Cordyceps produces cordycepin, a nucleoside similar to adenosine. These compounds are being researched; no health effect has been proven. Source

General information, not a health claim.

Grow it, buy it

Cordyceps price list

Waiting list

Cordyceps capsules

Cordyceps militaris

Cultivated orange Cordyceps militaris, once approval is through.

Cordyceps price list
ProductUsMarket (sourced, dated)
Cordyceps teaIn preparation · notify me—
Cordyceps capsules (food supplement)Coming soon · waiting list—

Our prices for cordyceps are published when the product is ready; for now we take waiting-list sign-ups. The market column shows prices seen on other sellers' pages on the date given; they are not our prices and may have changed.

Grow kits → How to grow →

Frequently asked questions

When is cordyceps season in Turkey?

In our calendar, cordyceps season runs Aug–Nov. Cordyceps fruits from August to November in Europe; there is a single GBIF record from Turkey (Artvin, August). In cultivation it is grown on rice and silkworm pupae.

Where does cordyceps grow?

Cordyceps grows in grassland and on mossy woodland edges, always attached to a moth pupa below ground.

Where is cordyceps found in Turkey?

Cordyceps is rarely recorded in Turkey.

What can cordyceps be confused with?

Cordyceps can be confused with caterpillar fungus (Tibet) (Ophiocordyceps sinensis, inedible) and goldenthread cordyceps (Tolypocladium ophioglossoides, inedible). Look-alikes are compared on this page.

What is cordyceps called in Turkish?

In Turkish, cordyceps (Cordyceps militaris) is called Kordiseps.

Related species

All species → · Identify by photo →

Sources (3)
Photo credits (10)